History between the Lines

By 1917, German U-boats are running amok amongst Allied shipping, threatening the war effort. The British Royal Navy decides to launch an attack against the German submarine base at Zeebrugge harbour to neutralize these U-boats, an operation guaranteed to be one of the most dangerous of the First World War. Cover artwork: "Comfort of a Bed of Roses" by James Gillray, courtesy of Look and...

Continuation of the Edwards of English royal history. With the demise of Edward I in 1307, his son comes to the throne. And so begins decades of war, intrigue, favourites, rebellions, treachery and the final battle to force a king off his throne... Cover artwork: "Comfort of a Bed of Roses" by James Gillray, courtesy of Look and Learn History Picture Archive. Music by Lexin Music from Pi...

Chris Hick joins me to review Nuremberg, the film which came out earlier this year which explores the 1945-1946 Nuremberg war crimes trials of the remaining leaders of Nazi Germany, notably Hermann Goring, played by Russell Crowe. Cover artwork: "Comfort of a Bed of Roses" by James Gillray, courtesy of Look and Learn History Picture Archive. Music by Lexin Music from Pixabay.

Part 1 of a series on all the King Edwards of English royal history post-1066. I'm joined by Dr Andy King to talk about Edward I. Hailed as a warrior ruler by the English who brought stability back to England and conquered Wales and Scotland and cursed as an evil tyrant by others who killed William Wallace, Edward I has gone down in history as one of England's most controversial kings. I...

As the Second World War breaks out in Europe in September 1939, Berlin is slowly transformed into a city of war. From rationing and bombing to forced labourers and the Holocaust, the city enters its darkest chapter, being brought to the brink of destruction by the Nazis. Chris Hick joins me for the final episode of this series about the Nazis and Berlin. Cover artwork: "Comfort of a Bed of Ro...

Part 2 of the series on the relationship between the Nazis and Berlin. Chris Hick joins me again to talk about what the Nazis did to Berlin once they were in charge. From employment programmes, creating the "people's community" to planning the architectural makeover of the capital, the Nazis hoped to change Berlin fundamentally and even planned to rename it to World Capital Germania...

Chris Hick joins me for part one of a three part episode about the relationship between the Nazis and the city of Berlin. In this first part, we explore the Berlin of the Weimar Republic and its corruption and eventual destruction by the Nazis on their way to seizing power in 1933. Cover artwork: "Comfort of a Bed of Roses", by James Gillray, courtesy of Look and Learn History Picture Ar...

As the SS seize control of Nazi Germany's security apparatus during the 1930s, they have ambitions to be the elite of the Third Reich and form a military branch to expand their influence and empire into the army. This unit, known as the Military or Waffen-SS, soon forms into a brutal fighting force of fanaticism and they will go down in history as some of the worst war criminals society has e...

As the Great Depression hit the United States in 1929, it unleashed a resurgence of the "Wild West" outlaw environment of the 19th century. Into this vacuum of banditry and media stardom came Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger and Pretty Boy Floyd. Professor Joseph Spillane joins me to talk about these latter-day American outlaws of the 1920s and 1930s and how and why they reached the leve...

Dr Erik Mathisen returns to the podcast to talk about a crucial aspect of the history of slavery in the United States, namely the acts of resistance and open revolts carried out by enslaved people against the slavery system during the 19th century. Cover artwork: "Comfort of a Bed of Roses" by James Gillray, courtesy of Look and Learn History Picture Archive. Music by Lexin Music from Pi...

Louisiana, 1928. It's election time and a young, intelligent, flamboyant candidate for the state governorship has emerged, promising to help the forgotten and smash the establishment in true populist style. His name: Huey Long. And he's on a quest to change America. Professor Jerald Podair joins me to talk about Huey Long. Cover artwork: "Comfort of a Bed of Roses" by James Gil...

On 14th January 1930, Horst Wessel, a brutal Nazi stormtrooper, was shot and killed by Red Front Fighter League street fighters. Wessel had lived by the sword and died by it. Such people are often soon forgotten by history. But Wessel has lived on, through the creation of his personality cult by chief Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels, as the perfect Nazi martyr. How and why did Wessel achieve thi...

Gary Arndt, the host of the Everything Everywhere Daily Podcast joins me to talk about all things history, from Emperor Claudius and calendars to Churchill and the Boer War. Cover artwork: "Comfort of a Bed of Roses" by James Gillray, courtesy of Look and Learn History Picture Archive. Music by Lexin Music from Pixabay.

Toby Hadoke, comedian, actor, writer, and all-round science fiction guru, joins me to talk about Doctor Who, the BBC sci-fi programme created in 1963 which went on to become the greatest TV show ever. Enjoy! Cover artwork: "Comfort of a Bed of Roses" by James Gillray, courtesy of Look and Learn History Picture Archive. Music by Lexin Music from Pixabay.

From Monitor ironclads and rusty mines to burning fortresses and blockade runners, how did the American Civil War spill out into naval warfare? Dr Howard Fuller joins me to talk about the war at sea during the American Civil War (1861-1865). We also discuss Dr Fuller's ongoing project to discover the shipwreck of the HMS Captain, which sank in 1870. Link to the project website below. https://...

The Congo, 1890s: Two competing empires are gearing up for war to decide who will control the vast swathe of territory in the heart of Africa known as the Congo, the Congo Free State forces from the west under the control of Belgian king Leopold and the slave and ivory traders from the east, known as the Arabs by the Belgians. Dr Mario Draper returns to the show to talk about this little-known con...

Professor John Wills joins me to talk about the Red Dead Redemption video game series. Set during the American West in a virtual world in which players can rob a stagecoach or go fishing, how true are the Red Dead games to what life was like on the frontier and how do they fit into the culture of the "Wild West"? To learn more about Red Dead's relationship with the American West, pl...

When it was launched in 1861, HMS Warrior was the most powerful warship in the world and the pride of the Royal Navy. Why and how did this vessel come to be built? HMS Warrior remains in existence today and can be visited at the brilliant Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Cover artwork: "Comfort of a Bed of Roses" by James Gillray, courtesy of Look and Learn History Picture Archive. Music by...

Professor Mark Connelly of Connelly Contours joins me to talk about the Christmas Truce of 1914, which took place on the Western Front during the First World War. A beloved story in British popular memory of how British and German soldiers came together in no man's land on 25th December 1914 and briefly held a ceasefire and exchanged friendly words, cigarettes and had a football match. But ho...

Dr Aurelie Basha joins me to talk about the foreign policy highs and lows of Jimmy Carter, who served as U.S. President from 1977 to 1981, in response to his death a few weeks ago at the age of 100. From the Iranian hostage crisis and the Camp David accords, to Afghanistan and the end of détente, what is Carter's foreign policy legacy? Cover artwork: "Comfort of a Bed of Roses" by J...

Alex Pitts, weapons handler at the Combined Military Services Museum, returns to the show for another weapons episode, this time on the globally famous Kalashnikov assault rifle from 1947. Cover artwork: "Comfort of a Bed or Roses" by James Gillray, courtesy of Look and Learn History Picture Archive. Music by Lexin Music from Pixabay.

In the winter of 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte and his Grande Armee are retreating from Moscow until they come upon the River Berezina blocking their path. With the Russian Army hot on their heels, can Napoleon's engineers build a bridge across the Berezina quickly enough before the French task force's foes catch up with it and bring about its total destruction? Cover artwork: "Comfort o...

In this brilliant, rollercoaster episode, Robert recounts the story of his father, William Jones, during the Second World War and his role as a British military policeman in the Special Investigation Branch (S.I.B.) in Europe after D-Day. From interrogating SS officers and arresting black marketeers to gathering military intelligence and going undercover in an Allied POW camp, William's story...

November, 1957 On Christmas Island and Malden Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a British Valiant jet bomber flies overhead. It is about to drop a single bomb just off the coast. This is Operation Grapple, Britain's efforts to acquire the hydrogen bomb. Cover artwork: "Comfort of a Bed of Roses" by James Gillray, courtesy of Look and Learn History Picture Archive. Music by...

Dr Ambrogio Caiani returns to the show to discuss the reign of King Louis XVI of France, 250 years after he ascended to the throne in 1774. Cover artwork: "Comfort of a Bed of Roses" by James Gillray, courtesy of Look and Learn History Picture Archive. Music by Lexin Music from Pixabay.